The group’s website directs participants to call their senator to urge them to pass gun control reforms. Bloomberg has noted recent statistics showing 90 percent of Americans support background checks for all gun purchases. It is one of the proposals under consideration on the federal level.

“From President Obama to Newtown families to the many Americans and mayors in both political parties coming together at events across the country today, the call for Congress to take action to prevent gun violence is loud and clear,” said Bloomberg. “We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy — it’s long past time for elected officials to listen to their constituents and pass reforms like comprehensive background checks that we know will save lives.”

The events featured law enforcement officials, mayors, religious leaders and other members of the community joining the call for federal gun safety measures.

The coalition recently announced plans to hire organizers and open campaign offices in 10 states, where gun safety is a major voting issue. The group had been using the tag line “Demand A Plan” but that has since changed to “We Have A Plan. Now It’s Time For Congress To Act.”

On Thursday afternoon, gun control supporters and opponents are faced off at a rally in Newtown, CBS 2’s Lou Young reported.

The mother of murdered Sandy Hook student Dylan Hockley didn’t attend the gun-control rally. The demonstration at the National Shooting Sports Foundation is part of the political polarization she said she wants to avoid — a debate that distills too easily to “pro” and “anti” gun labels.

Gun Control Supporters And Opponents Face Off At Newtown Rally

“I would ask them just to consider different perspectives and different conversations. I’m not anti-gun. I believe in the Second Amendment, too. I’m not anti-Second Amendment, but I believe with rights come responsibilities,” Nicole Hockley said.

The debate, though, has gotten hot, even as a new CBS News poll shows support for stricter gun laws dropped to 47 percent from a high of 57 percent in the immediate wake of the Connecticut massacre.

Gun control advocates, worried their window of opportunity is slipping away, are adamant.

“This has got to stop. It’s madness. It’s the wild, wild west. Assault weapons belong to our military, not in the classrooms and the malls,” resident Kathy Mayer said.

The president of the Newtown-based organization targeted by demonstrators Thursday said the focus on guns is too broad.

“The same firearms in the hands of a law-abiding sportsman is a horror show in the hands of a violent criminal who shouldn’t have them and is not legally entitled to possess them,” the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Steve Sanetti said.

Showdown In Newtown

Resident Daren Wagner told CBS 2’s Young he sees both sides and is searching for a balance.

“I’m a law enforcement officer, retired, so I know the need for somebody to own a gun. I believe in the Second Amendment, but it’s a right that comes with restrictions,” Wagner said.

And it’s the restrictions that worry gun enthusiasts — the slippery slope than leads to a loss of freedom.

“The devil is in the details. We all want what’s reasonable. We all want to take corrective measures. Where the fork is in the road and where we differentiate is how to implement and what are the corrective measures,” resident Dom Basile said.

So the debate rages. Some continue to push for an assault weapons ban, but legislative proposals seem to focus mostly on background checks and high-capacity magazines. It’s a conversation full of suspicion, and more than a little fear.